Spring Break
The Daily OrangeCaribbean dance troupe to spread love in performance
By Megan Hess
Posted: 3/28/08, 12:41 AM EST Section: Feature
If you go:
What: Kalabash Dance Troupe
Where: Goldstein Auditorium
When: Tonight at 6:30 p.m.
How Much: Free
When Sade Allen thinks of home, she longs for a taste of Caribbean culture. While Brooklyn, N.Y. is only four hours away, she still gets nostalgic about home-cooked Jamaican jerk chicken and bootlegged reggae music.
But this weekend, the Kalabash Dance Troupe will bring some of Allen's Caribbean history to her in Central New York.
Kalabash, the only Caribbean dance group at Syracuse University, will perform its innovative Caribbean dance tonight at 6:30 p.m. at Goldstein Auditorium. The 20th- anniversary show will feature reggae, soca (a type of calypso originating from Trinidad and Tobago), hip hop and R&B.
"Kalabash embraces cultures and helps us live the (Caribbean) legacy," said Allen, the troupe's coordinator and a junior information management and technology major. "We want students to have a place where they can feel like they're at home."
In honor of the troupe's anniversary, the night will play off the theme "A Caribbean Love Has Never Lasted So Long: 20 Years and Still Going Strong." Various love-themed dances will be incorporated throughout the show.
Kalabash is derived from the term "calabash," a hollowed out African gourd used in households to store food and water. When stacked from largest to smallest, calabashes represent the spirit of a person. Likewise, the Kalabash Dance Troupe hopes to portray the essence of Caribbean society, said Na'Tasha Webb-Prather, Kalabash co-coordinator.
The group originated as a branch of the Caribbean Student Association, but it broke off as a separate entity in 2001.
The 12 dancers come from a variety backgrounds - including Dominican, Thai and Jamaican - who contribute their own heritage to every dance, Webb-Prather said. She added the troupe prides itself on self-sufficiency; the dancers alone develop every routine, hand pick every song and design every costume.
"It's a way for me to focus my energy," Allen said. "I love performing and showing my dramatic side that many people don't know about."
Highlights of the show include performances by the Brazilian Ensemble and SU Funk Break, a break dancing group on campus. The first 120 attendees tonight receive complimentary gift bags, including a mix CD of Kalabash's music.
The organization expects a turnout of approximately 200, said Webb-Prather, a freshman in The College of Arts and Sciences. Last year, 100 people showed up for Kalabash, but 350 attended the performance in Goldstein Auditorium two years ago.
"From the outside looking in, nobody realizes how much it takes to go into a great performance," Webb-Prather said. "It's all about your ability to catch on, to persevere and to work as a group."
mehess@syr.edu
What: Kalabash Dance Troupe
Where: Goldstein Auditorium
When: Tonight at 6:30 p.m.
How Much: Free
When Sade Allen thinks of home, she longs for a taste of Caribbean culture. While Brooklyn, N.Y. is only four hours away, she still gets nostalgic about home-cooked Jamaican jerk chicken and bootlegged reggae music.
But this weekend, the Kalabash Dance Troupe will bring some of Allen's Caribbean history to her in Central New York.
Kalabash, the only Caribbean dance group at Syracuse University, will perform its innovative Caribbean dance tonight at 6:30 p.m. at Goldstein Auditorium. The 20th- anniversary show will feature reggae, soca (a type of calypso originating from Trinidad and Tobago), hip hop and R&B.
"Kalabash embraces cultures and helps us live the (Caribbean) legacy," said Allen, the troupe's coordinator and a junior information management and technology major. "We want students to have a place where they can feel like they're at home."
In honor of the troupe's anniversary, the night will play off the theme "A Caribbean Love Has Never Lasted So Long: 20 Years and Still Going Strong." Various love-themed dances will be incorporated throughout the show.
Kalabash is derived from the term "calabash," a hollowed out African gourd used in households to store food and water. When stacked from largest to smallest, calabashes represent the spirit of a person. Likewise, the Kalabash Dance Troupe hopes to portray the essence of Caribbean society, said Na'Tasha Webb-Prather, Kalabash co-coordinator.
The group originated as a branch of the Caribbean Student Association, but it broke off as a separate entity in 2001.
The 12 dancers come from a variety backgrounds - including Dominican, Thai and Jamaican - who contribute their own heritage to every dance, Webb-Prather said. She added the troupe prides itself on self-sufficiency; the dancers alone develop every routine, hand pick every song and design every costume.
"It's a way for me to focus my energy," Allen said. "I love performing and showing my dramatic side that many people don't know about."
Highlights of the show include performances by the Brazilian Ensemble and SU Funk Break, a break dancing group on campus. The first 120 attendees tonight receive complimentary gift bags, including a mix CD of Kalabash's music.
The organization expects a turnout of approximately 200, said Webb-Prather, a freshman in The College of Arts and Sciences. Last year, 100 people showed up for Kalabash, but 350 attended the performance in Goldstein Auditorium two years ago.
"From the outside looking in, nobody realizes how much it takes to go into a great performance," Webb-Prather said. "It's all about your ability to catch on, to persevere and to work as a group."
mehess@syr.edu
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 3
Tinasha
posted 4/27/08 @ 3:10 PM EST
Hello and Greetings
I am of Caribbean descent and I am looking to join a Caribbean dance troupe to dance and travel, performing in all kinds of festivals and I wanted to know how to go about finding a troupe to audition with. (Continued…)
Caribbean Cruises
posted 8/21/08 @ 8:40 AM EST
I never knew there was a Caribbean dance group, my parents are from the Caribbean but I've grown up most of my life in New York so missed out on a lot of their culture. (Continued…)
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